Bedsores are lesions on the body that can be caused by factors including friction and shearing forces, however the most common cause of bedsores is unrelieved pressure. In most cases, this unrelieved pressure occurs when a patient remains in a stationary position for a period of time, for example, on an operating room table during a surgical procedure, and pressure from the weight of the body compresses tissue. This compression of tissue over time leads to decrease of vascular flow, hypoxia, and/or ischemia and eventually to tissue necrosis (tissue death) if left untreated. This injury starts at the point of highest compression between tissue and bone, working its way to the skin surface and the appearance of a bedsore.
Low-air-loss patient support systems have been successful in reducing the occurance of bedsores. However, these support systems continually leak air and therefore, unless air is added to the system, the air pressure within the low-air-loss patient support system continually decreases as the system deflates. As the system is deflating, the relative position of a patient positioned on the low-air-loss patient support system with respect to the table surface changes and may place the patient at risk during the procedure.
Additionally, static readjusting low-air-loss patient support systems and/or low-air-loss patient support systems must continually be monitored so that the when the air pressure within the system has dropped below a desired set point air pressure, a pressure-raising means can be activated to increase the air pressure within the low-air-loss patient support system. Thus the pressure-raising means, typically a fluid pump, is cycled on and off, which changes the relative position of the patient with respect to the table surface as the air pressure within the low-air-loss patient support system is continually changing. In an operating room, during a surgical procedure, it is desired that a patient remain stationary relative to the table surface. Active feedback low air loss support surfaces will adjust if subjected to sudden pressure changes induced by the actions of, for example, the patient, surgeon. clinical staff, and the like. These surface adjustments could be detrimental to the surgical procedure, and as previously discussed, the patient.
Additionally, conventional operating room surfaces typically adjust for positioning purposes rather than adjusting for patient support purposes. In view of the preceding, there is a need for an operating room table that maintains the patient in a stationary position and has a patient support surface for the reduction or prevention of bedsores.